UCT Libraries

BC 1174 THE ABORTION RIGHTS ACTION GROUP ARCHIVE

Manuscripts & Archives

University of Cape Town Libraries

 

donated to

The University of Cape Town Libraries

by

The Abortion Rights Action Group

A List

compiled by

Michelle Risien

2001

CONTENTS

 

 

INTRODUCTION – THE COLLECTION

A

CONSTITUTION

B

MINUTES

C

ARAG PUBLICATIONS

D

CORRESPONDENCE

E

NEWSLETTERS

F

SOUTH AFRICAN ABORTION LEGISLATION

G

PARLIAMENTARY SELECT COMMITTEE

H

NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS

J

WORKSHOPS AND CONFERENCES

K

INFORMATION ON ABORTION GATHERED BY ARAG

L

REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS ALLIANCE

M

MISCELLANEOUS

INTRODUCTION

THE COLLECTION

The Archive of the Abortion Rights Action Group (ARAG) was deposited in the University of Cape Town Libraries upon the organisation’s committee decision that ARAG, in May 1999, would cease to function as an organisation.

Mrs Dolly Maister founded ARAG – an organisation of both women and men – originally called the South African Abortion Reform League, in 1971. Mrs Maister was prompted into forming an organisation – for legalising abortion on liberal terms – after hearing a speech given by Professor D. Crichton of Natal University, at the University of Cape Town’s student’s annual medical conference in 1971. Dr Marj Dyer, a trained medical doctor soon joined Mrs Maister to head ARAG – her medical background serving to add credibility to the organisation’s aims. Since its founding, ARAG has protested ceaselessly against injustices to women, in its bid to have elective abortion (“on demand”) made legal in South Africa.

In 1996 the South African parliament passed an act stating that abortion “on demand” was by law deemed legal, after more than twenty years of campaigning by ARAG and other pro-choice supporters. The 1996 Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act does not exist uncontested, however. In 1998, Pro-Life supporters, who took their challenge to the Pretoria High Court, launched an unsuccessful attack against the act.

The Archive covers the years 1970 – 1999 and includes minutes, conference papers, correspondence, newsletters and newspaper clippings. This collection reflects the wide range of people and organisations who have supported and been in contact with ARAG, as well as those who have existed in opposition to its cause, over the organisation’s twenty-eight year span. The operating of

ARAG from offices in Cape Town, Durban and Pretoria allowed for the dissemination of information to all sectors of the South African community. It is for this reason that the organisation accumulated vast amounts of varied information since its beginnings in 1971. The fact that ARAG functioned as a non-racial, non-political and non-sectarian organisation also allowed for diverse gatherings of information. Despite the closing of the organisation and its head offices, Dr. Marj Dyer – one of ARAG’s chief committee members – remains as the “contact representative” for ARAG should any further information be required.

BC1174

ABORTION RIGHTS ACTION GROUP ARCHIVE

A

CONSTITUTION

A1

Constitution of Abortion Reform Action Group (ARAG), 1975

A2

Draft constitution of Abortion Rights Action Group (ARAG), n.d.

A3

ARAG National AGM minutes, 27.02.1999

 

(includes final address to ARAG committee and members)

B

MINUTES

B1

Cape Town branch

B1.1

Minute Book, 1973-1983

 

(Note: in 1976 ARAG affiliated with the South African Abortion Law Reform League)

B1.2

Minute Book, 1984-1999

 

(includes Cape Town branch meetings, Cape AGMs and Chairman’s Report)

B2

Minutes: Durban branch, 1976-1983

B3

Minutes: Pretoria branch, 1976-1977

C

ARAG PUBLICATIONS

 

(includes: information leaflets, membership forms, petitions, etc.)

D

CORRESPONDENCE

D1

General letters written and received

D1.1

1971-1979

D1.2

1980-1989

D1.3

1990-1999 (excluding 1995 and 1996)

D1.4

1995

D1.5

1996

 

(includes letters from Helen Suzman, E.H. Venter, James Austin and Tony Leon)

D2

Letters written and received on various subjects

D2.1

Letters stating a brief history of ARAG's beginnings, 1972-1974

D2.2

Statistic and fact based letters, 1971-1977

D2.3

Letters relating to ARAG's rejection of the ‘Abortion and Sterilization Bill, 1972-1975

D2.4

Letters concerning the Freedom of Choice Bill, 1975-1997

D2.5

Letters referring to new abortion legislation, 1994-1996

D2.6

Miscellaneous letters.

 

(includes correspondence referring to 1997 Sterilization Bill and ARAG’s conveying of thanks to various people, 1997-1999)

E

NEWSLETTERS

E1

Abortion Reform Action Group (ARAG), 1973-1998

E2

Other

E2.1

International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), June & July 1972

E2.2

National Council of Women of South Africa (N.C.W.), August 1972

E2.3

New Humanist, 1972, 1979

E2.4

International Association for the Free Choice of Abortion (FCA), June 1976

E2.5

National Abortion Rights League (Naral), June & November 1978

E2.6

Women’s Legal Status Committee (WLSC), May 1983

E2.7

International Humanist, 1984

E2.8

Women’s Health Conference News 1, October 1994

E2.9

Civil Rights League, August 1990 & January 1994

E2.10

Barometer, 1997-1998

F

SOUTH AFRICAN ABORTION LEGISLATION

F1

Documents concerning Abortion Law, 1975-1996

F2

Information relating to Abortion and Sterilization Act

F2.1

1975 (includes Hansard Reports)

F2.2

1993-1995

F3

Resolutions (sent to National Council of Women), 1977-1980

F4

Abortion Legislation, 1967-1996

F5

Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1996

F6

Proposed Legislation

 

(includes Draft Bills on the Prevention of Domestic Violence, On the Promotion of Equal Opportunities and on the Abolition of  Discrimination against Women)

F7

Freedom of Choice Bill, 1994-1996

F8

National Assembly, 29 October 1996

F9

Senate Debate, Choice of Termination of Pregnancy Bill (Second Reading), 5 November 1996

G

PARLIAMENTARY SELECT COMMITTEE ON ABORTION

G1

Submissions

G1.1

1994-1995

G1.2

1995

G1.3

1995-1996

H

NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS

H1

General

H1.1

1970-1979

H1.2

1980-1989

H1.3

1990-1999

H2

Clippings on various subjects

H2.1

relating to ARAG, 1960’s-1980’s

H2.2

referring to infanticide, starvation and abandonment, 1972-1993 

H2.3

referring to abortion practices – collected by Dr N. Horne, 1977  -1980

J

WORKSHOPS AND CONFERENCES

J1

Medical Association of South Africa: workshop on abortion, 20 January 1995

J2

Other

J2.1

National Conference on the effects of Population and Growth, 1976

J2.2

International Contraception, Abortion and Sterilization Campaign, 1981

J2.3

XIIIth World Congress of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Singapore,1991

J2.4

Conference on Women and Gender in Southern Africa, 1991

J2.5

Seminar on Abortion, 1992

J2.6

International Conference on Population and Development, Cairo, 1994

J2.7

Women’s Health Policy Conference Regional Meeting, 1994

J2.8

Lawyers for Human Rights: Interim Abortion Workshop, 1994

J2.9

Workshop on the legal status of abortion and proposed lobbying, 1995

J2.10

The Abortion Legislation “Legal, Medical and Social Perspectives”, 1997

J2.7

The Metropole Region Human Resource Development and Training sector seminar on Termination of Pregnancy and its Religious Implications, September 1997

J3

Addresses at meetings, 1979-1996

 

(not including radio or television)

K

INFORMATION ON ABORTION, GATHERED BY ARAG

K1

Printed articles from various sources

K1.1

1969-1989

K1.2

1990-1997

K2

Collected material

 

(including family planning, abortion and population)

K3

Reports and articles on family planning and abortion

K4

Pamphlets

K5

Posters

K6

Pro-Life

K7

Statistics

L

REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS ALLIANCE

M

MISCELLANEOUS

M1.1

Readings referring to ARAG, medical research and other organisations for and against abortion

M1.2

General readings concerned with abortion, human rights and population growth

M1.3

Publications

 

(includes the Royal Society of South Africa and the Church of the Province of South Africa)

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